II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1058 

To promote research, development, and demonstration of marine and 

hydrokinetic renewable energy technologies, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 22, 2015 

Mr. WYDEN (for himself, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. SCHATZ, and Mr. KING) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To promote research, development, and demonstration of marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy technologies, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Marine and 

5 Hydrokinetic Renewable Energy Act of 2015’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEFINITION OF MARINE AND HYDROKINETIC RE2 NEWABLE ENERGY. 

3 Section 632 of the Energy Independence and Security 

4 Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17211) is amended in the matter 

5 preceding paragraph (1) by striking ‘‘electrical’’. 

6 SEC. 3. MARINE AND HYDROKINETIC RENEWABLE ENERGY 

7 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. 

8 Section 633 of the Energy Independence and Security 

9 Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17212) is amended to read as 

10 follows: 

11 ‘‘SEC. 633. MARINE AND HYDROKINETIC RENEWABLE EN12 ERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. 

13 ‘‘The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of 

14 the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Federal 

15 Energy Regulatory Commission, shall carry out a program 

16 of research, development, demonstration, and commercial 

17 application to accelerate the introduction of marine and 

18 hydrokinetic renewable energy production into the United 

19 States energy supply, giving priority to fostering acceler20 ated research, development, and commercialization of 

21 technology, including programs— 

22 ‘‘(1) to assist technology development to im23 prove the components, processes, and systems used 

24 for power generation from marine and hydrokinetic 

25 renewable energy resources; 


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1 ‘‘(2) to establish critical testing infrastructure 

2 necessary— 

3 ‘‘(A) to cost effectively and efficiently test 

4 and prove marine and hydrokinetic renewable 

5 energy devices; and 

6 ‘‘(B) to accelerate the technological readi7 ness and commercialization of those devices; 

8 ‘‘(3) to support efforts to increase the efficiency 

9 of energy conversion, lower the cost, increase the 

10 use, improve the reliability, and demonstrate the ap11 plicability of marine and hydrokinetic renewable en12 ergy technologies by participating in demonstration 

13 projects; 

14 ‘‘(4) to investigate variability issues and the ef15 ficient and reliable integration of marine and 

16 hydrokinetic renewable energy with the utility grid; 

17 ‘‘(5) to identify and study critical short- and 

18 long-term needs to create a sustainable marine and 

19 hydrokinetic renewable energy supply chain based in 

20 the United States; 

21 ‘‘(6) to increase the reliability and survivability 

22 of marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy tech23 nologies; 

24 ‘‘(7) to verify the performance, reliability, main25 tainability, and cost of new marine and hydrokinetic 


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1 renewable energy device designs and system compo2 nents in an operating environment; 

3 ‘‘(8) to coordinate and avoid duplication of ac4 tivities across programs of the Department and 

5 other applicable Federal agencies, including National 

6 Laboratories and to coordinate public-private col7 laboration in all programs under this section; 

8 ‘‘(9) to identify opportunities for joint research 

9 and development programs and development of 

10 economies of scale between— 

11 ‘‘(A) marine and hydrokinetic renewable 

12 energy technologies; and 

13 ‘‘(B) other renewable energy and fossil en14 ergy programs, offshore oil and gas production 

15 activities, and activities of the Department of 

16 Defense; and 

17 ‘‘(10) to support in-water technology develop18 ment with international partners using existing co19 operative procedures (including memoranda of un20 derstanding)— 

21 ‘‘(A) to allow cooperative funding and 

22 other support of value to be exchanged and le23 veraged; and 

24 ‘‘(B) to encourage the participation of 

25 international research centers and companies 


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1 within the United States and the participation 

2 of United States research centers and compa3 nies in international projects.’’. 

4 SEC. 4. NATIONAL MARINE RENEWABLE ENERGY RE5 SEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRA6 TION CENTERS. 

7 Section 634 of the Energy Independence and Security 

8 Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17213) is amended by striking 

9 subsection (b) and inserting the following: 

10 ‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—A Center (in coordination with the 

11 Department and National Laboratories) shall— 

12 ‘‘(1) advance research, development, demonstra13 tion, and commercial application of marine and 

14 hydrokinetic renewable energy technologies; 

15 ‘‘(2) support in-water testing and demonstra16 tion of marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy 

17 technologies, including facilities capable of testing— 

18 ‘‘(A) marine and hydrokinetic renewable 

19 energy systems of various technology readiness 

20 levels and scales; 

21 ‘‘(B) a variety of technologies in multiple 

22 test berths at a single location; and 

23 ‘‘(C) arrays of technology devices; and 

24 ‘‘(3) serve as information clearinghouses for the 

25 marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy industry 


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1 by collecting and disseminating information on best 

2 practices in all areas relating to developing and 

3 managing marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy 

4 resources and energy systems.’’. 

5 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

6 Section 636 of the Energy Independence and Security 

7 Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17215) is amended by striking 

8 ‘‘2008 through 2012’’ and inserting ‘‘2016 through 

9 2019’’. 

Æ 


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